The Quiet One
by Mint Pizza Queen
Summary: A series of short stories focused around Vincent Valentine. Part of the 1000 Themes Challenge.
1. 1 : A Bridge Too Far

**A/N:** This is part of the 1000 themes challenge, created by me. The challenge is divided up into thirteen parts (used to be twelve parts)--and this is part one consisting of 50 of the thousand themes, and is focused around the Final Fantasy VII fandom. Enjoy and feel free to participate.

* * *

**_Theme: #1 - "A Bridge Too Far"_**  
**Warnings:** None really.

"Argh!" The young girl grumbled loudly as she trekked through the deep snow. "Are we almost there?"

Vincent stopped and turned slightly to face the girl as she caught up with him. He silently watched her rub her arms viciously to warm herself and shook his head. "I told you to bring something warm."

"You said we weren't going in the mountains! You said we were going to go to the beach! Why would I _need _something warm at the beach?!" Yuffie snapped and kicked her feet at the rising snow. "My feet are turning to popsicles!"

He merely watched her with indifference and continued on his walk.

"Hey! Don't you even _care?!"_

"I did. That's why I told you what to prepare for. You ignored me, and now you can take what you were given."

"Wow, Vinnie, that was harsh."

"Blunt."

"Whatever," she grumbled and caught up to his side. "But really, are we almost there yet? I'm ready to find myself a cave and start a fire."

He ignored her comment and opted to answer her question instead. "We have half a mile to hike before we come to a bridge; we cross that and then we can board the ship again."

"Half a _mile_?! Did we seriously walk that far?!" She tripped and fell into the snow. When she pushed herself up, she spat and snarled at the white powder. "Damnit, I hate this."

Vincent merely shook his head as he watched her flail her arms at the falling flakes. "Hating it won't change the weather."

"Tch, I know that!" She pushed herself up and brushed off the caked on snow. "Come on, let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can thaw."

He waited until she passed him and shook his head as they continued their hike back.


	2. 25 : Allergies

**_Theme: #25 - "Allergies"_**  
**Warnings:** None really.

Yuffie disliked babysitting.

Why Tifa and Cloud left her in charge of the two little 'angels' was beyond her.

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

She snorted with boredom and cradled her head on the palm of her hand as she watched the two kids play in the yard. She wished she had someone with her to talk to. Anybody--Cid, Barret, and even Vincent. Come on, she was desperate here.

"Hey! Lookie!"

She suddenly found herself inhaling a bunch of flowers and coughed loudly, swapping at them. "What the--" Her eyes watered as the kids giggled.

"Flowers!" Marlene grinned and held them up. "See?"

Yuffie scowled. "Yes, I see."

"Don't you like them?"

She snorted and looked away. "No."

The children's faces fell.

"I do."

Yuffie's head spun at the familiar voice and almost impaled her guest with her arms. "Vincent?! What are you doing here?!"

He raised an eyebrow slightly as he seated himself on the ground beside her. "I'm here to watch you lot. Tifa thought it would be too much for you to handle alone."

The girl made a face and gritted her teeth. "You got that right."

The flowers reappeared and she spluttered, sneezing several times as she fought to get them away. "Keep--them--BACK!"

Vincent grabbed the bunch of flowers from the children and the three watched as the girl finished her fit.

"Are you done?"

She growled. "Not my fault flowers make me sneeze when they're forcefully stuffed up my nose!" She pointed to the nose in question and sniffed.

The children hid at Vincent's side with guilty faces, but the man merely handed the flowers back to them.

"Put them in a vase. Tifa will like them when she gets home. Cranky here is much too--cranky--to appreciate them."

The children grinned and ran inside the house, leaving the gunman and the ninja alone.

"Cranky?"

"Did you just call me _cranky_?"

"You are."

"Shut UP Vinnie, you're one to talk."

"...I'm not the one stuffing flowers up my nose."

Yuffie ogled him as he rose and swiftly entered the house, leaving her in shocked silence in the yard.


	3. 36 : Angry Men

**_Theme: #36 - "Angry Men"_**  
**Warnings:** None really.

"That little BRAT!"

There was a loud crash and Vincent rolled his eyes as Cid came charging out of the cabin of his ship.

"Where the hell did that shit-head go?"

Vincent shrugged, knowing already from past mishaps just who the man was talking about.

Cid bit roughly into his cigarette and the end fell off the filter. He gaped for a moment before growling in outrage, stomping his foot onto the poor thing. "I'll KILL HER!"

"What did she do this time?" Vincent asked, not at all disturbed by the man's behavior.

"She raided my stuff again! Took my gil! I'll kick her ass when I see her! Ooooh, yes I will. I'll kick it from here, to there!" He pointed to the sky as he attempted to regain control of his breathing. "That little shit, I'll--I'll--" He made a strangled noise before yanking out his pack of cigarettes, quickly lighting a new one.

Vincent raised an eyebrow as the man shrugged.

"I'll think of something. In the meantime, have a nice day."

The silent man watched as the other man stalked back into his cabin, grumbling the entire time.


	4. 47 : Argument

**_Theme: #47 "Argument"_**  
**Warnings:** None really.

There was a snarl. Then a yell. Then the loud crashes of doors slamming against walls and rattling of frames. In the midst of the noisy chaos, heavy footfalls echoed in the empty room.

The door swung open and Vincent stomped inside, eyes flaring as he snapped at the person behind him. Yuffie trailed in after him determinedly.

"You're so pigheaded! You don't let anybody help you! Vincent, we're your friends! We're a team! We're supposed to work together! Why won't you--"

"It's my battle, not yours. It's something I must do alone."

Yuffie stepped towards him, hand outstretched as her face contorted into dismay. "Vinnie," She hesitated. "Why won't you let us in?"

He turned, taking her hand and squeezed it gently as her eyes widened in surprise at his touch. "I don't want you to get hurt because of something that I should have fixed decades ago."

He pressed the hand to her chest and swept into the next room without a word.


	5. 57 : Azure

**_Theme: #57 - "Azure"_**  
**Warnings: **None, really.

Bullets are flying as the damned creature flies around, swooping and shrieking. He jumps out of the way just as it lurches for him, and he finds himself airborne for a mere second and lands on it during its attack.

There are shouts from all sides of him--Yuffie is yelling obscene things at it while Cid growls at it. Barrett is firing round after round at it as he's dodging debris from the buildings above and Cloud is--

_Cloud._

Suddenly, Cloud is lurching up higher--being tossed up one person at a time--he's boosted by Yuffie and Vincent knows that he's next.

He spares the sky one quick glance before he jumps out off the rafter and is by Cloud's side in a second. They make eye contact for a mere second--precious blue gems shimmering with coldness and determination.

Vincent grabs his hand and throws him into the azure sky with all the energy he can muster, shouting "Fly!" as he falls back down to the ground with the world whistling past his ears.

It's all up to Cloud now.


End file.
